Kempon Hokke

The Founder of Kempon Hokke Nichiju

The Founder of Kempon Hokke Nichiju Shonin part I

This is the first time the history of Nichiju is on the net. I present it both for my dear friends and my dear enemies.

Our founder the Orthodox Teacher Nichiju was born on the twenty-eighth day of the fourth month in the thirty-third year after Nichiren Shonin's decease (13/10/1282), the third year of Showa (1314) at Kurogawa in Aizu in the Province of Cushuu, and exactly sixty-one years to the day since Nichiren Dasihonin first chanted Namu Myoho renge kyo (04/28/1253). Nichiju's childhood name was Tamachiyomaru. His father was Ichido Masatomo and His mother Kiyotama Hime. the daughter of the Master of Aizu Castle, Ashina Shiro Morimune.

At the age of fifteen he lost his parents and, feeling the transcience of human life, he resolved to enter the monastic life. At nineteen he became the disciple of Jihen on Mount Hiei near Kyoto and took the religious name Gemmyo. At age thirty-eight he was the scholastic head of the Sammon (the branch of the Tendai sect on Mt. Hiei). At the age of fifty-eight he resolved to retire from the world and returned home to Aizu. He was welcomed by the new Lord Ashina and given a temple Haguro Tokoji, the temple of the Ashina family, the main temple in Aizu. He had a reputation as an emminent scholar and young pupils flocked to him from all directions. He was known as "Preacher Gemmyo of the Tendai sect, a famous scholar through all the islands of Japan." (The History of Nichiju Shonin)

One day a student while on his way home to Ege passed by to pay his respects to Gemmyo. He entrusted the teacher with his book box and said, "if I do not return in three months, please open it and take a look." Three months then six months passed and finally, Gemmyo took a peek. Inside were two books, The Opening of the Eyes (Kaimoku sho) and Practice in Accordance with the Preaching (Nyosetsu shugyo sho), "composed by Nichiren". When Gemmyo read them in a casual manner, suddenly every word and phrase penetrated his heart and he jumped for joy! The wondrous emotion of joy in the Dharma flooded his very being and he thought, "Oh, here was the teaching I have been seeking for so many years!" For the people of the age of the Latter Dharma the teachings and the contemplative practice of the Tendai sect were too difficult. He was moved to tears that it was the teaching of Nichiren Shonin that revives the spirit of T'ien-t'ai and Dengyo in the Latter Dharma, the Great Pure Dharma that saves deluded beings. Once at Heizen, Jihen said, "According to the Sutra text, now is the time for the appearance of the Bodhisattva Jogyo Converted by the Original Buddha" and it is Nichiren Shonin who was the Bodhisattva Jogyo.. So now he decided to convert to the Hokke sect of Nichiren and he changed his name to Nichiju. At once he went to a nearby temple affiliated with Taisekaji, Jitsujoji, and inquired about the teaching of Nichiren Shonin. However, they could not answer Nichiju's questions and told him to go to Shimosa Province because there were many letters of the Saint there.

Meanwhile, the great monastic assembly of Tokoji temple, fearful that, if the famous Gemmyo changed sects, it would be a disgrace to the Tendai sect and Haguro itself would decline in prosperity and it would be better for him, being old and declining, to die suddenly and they plotted to do him harm. One Zennyobo, among the great monastic assembly, secretly warned Nichiju of the danger and Nichiju thought, "Here there is demonic hindrance just from changing sects and the Great Saint endured real suffering." He thought his life was important for the sake of spreading the Great Dharma and so, with Zennyobo, he fled under cover of night accross the mountains and hid in the house of the believer Hijiya Matajiro.

Nichiju with Zennyobo set out for Shimosa where there were many letters of Nichiren. When they arrived at an inn at Tochigi, five disciples had caught up with them. Along with Zennyobo Nichinin, Nichiboku, Nikkon, Nichigi, Nichizen, and Nichimyo, they are known as the six disciples of Aizu. Nichiju and his disciples arrived at the Guboji Temple at Mama and met the head of the temple, Nisshu: Nichiju requested,

"I am Gemmyo Nichiju formerly of Tokoji at Aizu; reading Nichiren Shonin's letters, I have changed sects. Please allow me to study his letters."

The head of the temple did not at all believe the famous Gemmyo had changed sects. Nichiju, having written a Submission and Oath, was at last allowed to study the letters. Nisshu said, "I am myself old and declining. I want you by all means to teach the doctrine of Tendai and his sect to my disciple Nichiman." For three years Nichiju lectured on both the doctrines of the Tendai sect and this sect. The preacher and everyone read them. Nichiju also went to Nakayama and studied Nichiren's letters there. It is said that when he read Nichiren's writings and changed sects he was 67 years old (1380).

When Nichiju was sixty-eight (the first year of Eitoku), in the second month, he spread the teachings by the the assertive method (shakabuku) in the village of Chiba. He made a great vow that he would go up to the capital Kyoto in accordance with Nichiren Shonin's final order and memorialize to the Imperial government and aristocracy and remonstrate with the military houses and in the first part of the fourth month he set out from Shimosa and on the twenty-seventh of the same month he arrived at Kyoto. In kyoto he lodged in the Tsumyotaku of Tennojiya. On the twenty-third day of the sixth monthwith an introduction from Middle Officer 9chusho) takatsukasa) he had an audience with the Kampaku (Regent) Lord Nijo Yoshimoto at the Izumi Hall. The Regent asked,

"Teacher, from what province are you and a monk of what sect? And on what matter do you memorialize?"

The master Nichiju presented a copy of the Treatise On Establishing Orthodoxy and Making the country Peaceful (Rissho ankoku ron) and a statement and said,

from the province of Shimosa, a monk of Guhoji at Mama, the matter I memorialize on concerns the propagation of the Hokke Sect. The import is written out in detail in these documents."

The Regent read these two documents and made various inquieries. The master Nichiju said,

"Please let me have a sectarian debate with the Sammon (Hieizan). If I am victorious, dissolve the Sammon and if I am defeated the penalty of exile or of death is all I expect."

When he heard this, the Regent was surprised and said, "Ah this is matter of a forceful suit, a forceful suit."

Three times Nichijo repeated his request and in his saying so we can well imagine his fervor for he said he would debate the Sammon on religious grounds and dissolve it. but, the Cloistered Emperor Shirakawa had once said, 'the waters of the Kamo River, the dice at sugoroku (bakgammon), and the Mountain dharma preachers (the monks of Hieizan) will not follow my wishes." (This was the first memorialization to the Imperial government and aristocracy.)

On the following twenty-ninth day he appealed to the Governor General of the military houses to believe in the Hokke Sect. Subsequently on the sixth day of the seventh month there was bestowed on him by the Cloistered Emperor Goennyu a decree allowing him to spread the Dharma within the capital as well as an oral decree bestowing on him the monastic title Second Rank Sozu. The master Nichiju said,

Given that His Majesty the Retired Emperor is not of this sect, thing such as official rank are not what I desire."

The Middle Officer Tokatatsukasa said that, "if the master Nichiju henceforth is thinking of memorializing, he will not simply be able to meet the Regent without an official rank. Why resign it?" At this, master Nichiju gladly accepted it.

On the seventh day of the seventh month, Nichiju departed Kyoto and on the nineteenth went up to Minobu where he had an interview with the chief priest. On the twentieth he left Minobu and spread the teaching at Matsuno. (Later that historic site became the Myosoji temple.) On the twenty-seventh he arrived back at Guhoji temple in Shimosa.

When Nichiju was sixty-nine years of age, in the spring, he had an interview with the Governor General of Kamakura, Ashikaga Ujimitsu and appealed to him about sectarian doctrine. He established the temple Honkoji at Uzumibashi in Kamakura. Subsequently he went up to Kyoto and meeting with the Regent Nijo Yoshimoto, he urged him to adopt the Hokke faith. (The second Memorialization)

At age seventy, Nichiju erected a hermitage on the western side the Bomon gate at Rokujo in the Murimachi district of Kyoto. He repeatedly met with the Regent Yoshimoto and urged him to adopt the Hokke faith. The regent accepted an object of worship (honzon) written in the Great Saint's own hand, chanted the Daimoku, and said, "I am of the Hokke Sect." The master at once said, "If you make your submission to the Hokke Sect, you must give judgement over the empire, eliminate the eight sects or ten sects, and have all be of the faith of the Hokke, the Purely Perfect Teaching."

The regent said,

"I am the figurehead ruler of the empire. In recent times it is the Lord of Muromachi (the Ashikaga Shogunate) that holds the power of the empire. Please go to him and make your appeal."

"The fact the empire is such that 'inferiors master their superiors' and political power has shifted to the military houses is because from the emperor down, both the king and his subjects do not believe in the king of the sutras, the Hokekyo. Do not lose a moment in having them believ in the Hokke Sect which Nichiren spread."

"In a world where they do as I wish, I would do according to your words, master. But now in a world where 'inferiors master their superiors', I can do nothing."

At the Regent's words, master Nichiju sighed with regret and withdrew. (The third memorialization.)

When master Nichiju was seventy-one 9the first year of Shitoku), he appealed to the Intendant, Governor Matsuda of Tamba, about sectarian doctrine. Subsequently he also made an appeal to the governor general, Governor Hosokawa of Musashi.

At age seventy-two he went down to Totomi Province (Shizuoka Prefecture) and made an appeal to Governor Imagawa of Echigo at the military governor's headquarters. Subsequently at Mitsuke (the present Iwata City) he founded Gemmyoji temple and wrote out it's Object of Worship. In Shinagawa he extablished the temple Honkoji and in the eleventh month at the Honkoji temple in Kamakura he bestowed the precepts of the Original Doctrine (Hommon Kai). (see further along).

At age seventy-three: In this year Master Nichiju founded Goryuji Temple in Kibi (Kosai City) and in Shimosa Province he founded the Funame Honryuji Temple (at Mariyatsu in Kisaraazu City).

At age seventy-four, the first year of the Kakei era (1387), the soldier monks of Hieizan destroyed the Nichiren Temple, Myokenji, in Kyoto and its abbot Nissei took refuge from this disaster at Obama (in modern fukui Prefecture). master Nichiju, hearing of this, sent his disciple Daifubo to pay a visit of condolence. On the twenty-seventh day of the eleventh month, his beloved disciple from Gemmyoji, nineteen year old Nichimyo, passed away. Having lost his disciple from the Aizu days, Master Nichiju's strength declined. He sent his disciple Nichiboku to the various Nichiren temples in nearby provinces with the words,

"Myokenji has been destroyed. By next year let us go up to the capital and with one accord memorialize and spread the doctrine of the Hokke sect."

However, Minobu, Taisekaji at Fuji, Nissei and so on feared Hiezan and would not agree. On the twenty-first day of the eighth month he performed the first year memorial service for Nichimyo and read an Intoning Recitation Text. On the back of the Intoning Recitation Text he wrote a Testatment (okibumi) and did away with his former Submissions.

Testament:

THE WILL OF NICHIJU SHONIN
A Matter that Nichiju's Disciples Should Know

Written by the founder of the Kempon Hokke Shu (1388)
Testament (meaning the Testament on the reverse Side)

"Item: a matter which the disciples should understand. Because the
lineages of the Six Disciples of the Great Saint [Nichiren] as well as the
lineage's of Temmoku and others all have points in both methods
and the Buddha Dharma, where they go against the means of conversion of
the Great Saint, I am not in agreement with them. Nichiju is one who
directly reverses and returns to Nichiren Daishonin. The disciples should
profoundly understand this. However, at Mama in Shimosa there is a
Submission as well as an Oath. Even so, because they differ from the
Great Saint's Principles in doctrines as well as method, I abandon these.
This is a situation of abandoning evil spiritual friends."

Nichiju's Disciples should guard the above standpoint: for those who go
against this standpoint it shall be the sin of Blasphemy Against the
Dharma and falling to hell. Therefore, for times hereafter, this testament
is as stated.

The twenty-fifth day of the Eighth Month of the Second Year of Kakei
(1388) Second Rank Sozu Nichiju (Signature)

Cited in the Kempon Hokke Seiten,642-643, as well as Tradition of
Nichiren's Doctrine (Nichiren kyogaku no dento), pp 35-36; the original
of the Testament (Okibumi) was written on the back of the Fujumon or
Recitation Text for Nichiju's young disciple Nichimyo, who died at the
age of eighteen, and is extant at Jakkoji Temple in Kyoto)

Submission at Mama refers to Nichiju's holding of a staff
position at that Temple which he is here-in now also renouncing.

This was in point of fact the declaration of independence of Nichiju's Lineage of Disciples. At that time, each and every one of the lineages of Nichiren's own disciples were boasting they were the principle successors and 'blood line' of the Great Saint and on the other hand, they were quarrelling over the equality versus the respective Superiority and Inferiority of the Hommon and Shakumon and reguarding the various lineages. Nichiju himself returned to the Great Saint Nichiren and procliamed he succeeded to the Inner Realization of the great Saint by the Succession Through the scrolls of the Sutra and Nichiren as direct teacher.

At age seventy-six he named his hermitage at Muromachi at the Bomon at Rokujo in Kyoto "Myotozan Myomanji" and propagated the doctrine with that as the center of propagation.

At age seventy-seven, when the Military Governor of Totomi Province came up to Kyoto, Master Nichiju, memorialized him directly.

At age seventy-eight (the first year of Meitoku-1390): the occassion of visit of the Shogun to Tojiji Temple on the seventh day of the third month master Nichiju 'appeared in the garden court of the residence' 9teichu: wherein the petitioner, sidestepping the officials in charge, appears in the level ground before or in residence and presents his memorial or suit directly.) However, the Shogun would not accept hisstrong petition to sweep away the other sectd and have only the Hokke Sect.

"When, having remonstrated thrice, one's remonstrance is not adopted, one retires" is the teaching of the sages and worthies, and master Nichiju also had the thought of returning to his own province. He preached the dharma through the summer and on the twenty-fifth day of the seventh monthhe left Kyoto and arrived at Myoryuji in Totmi Province on the third day of the eighth month. Here he preached the dharma for seven says and at Gemmyoji as well he preached the Dharma for seven days at the Higan (Equinox) Festival. On the eighth day of the ninth month he arrived at kochoji temple in Okonomiya (Numazu City).
Here he spoke of the doctrine of the sect to Nichinibo Nissho. On the sixteenth he left this temple and crossing Mount Ashigara he recited a poem:

The foot of my steed hastening across Mount Ashigara,
Would that be Mount Fuji I glance behind me?

Thus, due to the Nichiren sects' (of the six disciples of Nichiren) cowardice, in the face of persecution from the Tendai sect, Nichiju established his own sect based on the Succession Through the Scrolls of the Sutra and the Realization of Nichiren.

Table of Lineages from Nichiren Shonin

Nichiji (Eishoji, Shizuoka; Overseas Propagation to China and Siberia)

NICHIJU"S LINEAGE ---------------------------> (MYOMANJI)

Nichijo (Nakayama) --->Nichiko---> Nichiyu --->Nichizon (Nakayama Hokekyoji)
---> Nichin ---> Nichei--->Myokokuji
--->Hommyoji
--->chomyoji
--->Hompoji

Nikko (Fuji) --------------------------> Nichizon (Yoboji in Kyoto)
--------------------------> Nichidai (Nishiyama Hommonji)
--------------------------> Nichimyo (Kitayama Hommonji)
--------------------------> Nichimoku (Taisekaji) ---> Soka Gakkai

Niko ----------------------------------> Kuonji at Minobu
----------------------------------> Sogenji at Mobara

Nichiro (Hikigayatsu) ------> Nichin ---> Nichijo (Rokujo, Kyoto) ---> Honkukoji
------> Nichizo (Shijo in Kyoyo)
------> Hikigayatsu
------> Ikegami

Nissho (Hamado) -----------> Tamazawa Myohokkeji/Murata Myohoji

Master Nichiju, who had awakened to the Hokke faith in these, his last twelve or thirteen years and had struggled with all his might in the battles for the Dharma, day after day, risking his life to memorialize and remonstrate, rushing about to spread the teachings in Kyoto and Kamakura, was overwhelmed with emotion in his heart. Now an old man of seventy-eight years his feelings were probably all the more pronounced at the thought that this might be his last view of Fuji.

On the ninth day of the tenth month when he arrived at Aizu, he expressed his gratitude to the Hijiza family for their long-time protection. The Master of the Castle, Lord Ishina, founded Myohoji temple and made offerings to Master Nichiju.

At age seventy-nine the third year of Meitoku, (1392) on the fifteenth day of the first month he performed the memorial service for the sixty-fourth anniversary of his parents death. Subsequently on the twentieth of the first month he recorded as his last testament, "The matter of Nichiju's legacy" (Testament) settling matters after his death:

CONDITIONS AFTER NICHIJU
Written Jan. 20, 1392

Among the disciples of the school of Nichiju, nobody should be chosen,
directly or indirectly as an heir disciple. However, anybody among the
priests or the laymen of my congretation that spreads the teaching in
Kyoto and swears that other sects are the root of all evils and that only
the Hokke Sect makes us enter Nirvana can be my disciple. And if
candidates are equally gifted, they should propagate during the
summer, practicing in turn. You should consider a person who spreads
the teaching like this as the true disciple of Nichiju and Nichiren Shonin.

So, in the days to come, this shall be my will.

The third year of Meitoku Mizunoe Saru (ninth year of the monkey), January 20th
Nichiju Monograph

He wrote three copies and left them to Myohoji in Aizu, Gemmyoji in Totomi Province, and Myomanji in Kyoto. (Testament of One Meaning in Three Copies)
Now, only one copy still exists at myoryuji Temple in Kibi. In the Testament Master Nichiju ordered assertive (shakabuku) propagation in Kyoto (the Imperial capital). At the beginning of the second month he began to show signs of a slight illness and on the twenty-eighth at about eight A.M., surrounded by his disciples, he peacefully entered Nirvana. Just as at the time of the decease of the Great Saint Nichiren, so at Master Nichiju's passing there was a slight earthquake. The earth itself responds to the death of the great holy ones. At the time Nichiju was seventy-nine years of age and had been sixty-one years in the Buddhist Monastic Order.

As it is often said, "Even now it is not too late." Truly noble was the call to restore the Patriarch's way, "Go back to our Patriarch Nichiren" and the assertive propagation by Master Nichiju who awoke to the Hokke faith when he had already reached the old age od sixty-seven. We esteem his life that to the very last moment, he wasted not even a minute or a second of precious human life but made every effort to spread the Dharma widely. The lineage of this Nichiju is the "ju monryu", the present Kempon Hokke Sect.

Posted by markrogow at April 20, 2009 01:30 PM